Various types of containers for dispensing solid objects, particularly solid products intended for human consumption, are known in the art. Such containers are often characterized by a hand-held size that can be easily stored and transported. Exemplary consumable products that are often packaged in such containers include pharmaceutical compositions, oral tobacco products, snacks, mints, gums, breath strips, candy, and the like.
Certain consumable products, such as pharmaceutical products, require containers having a certain level of child resistance. Traditionally, pills have been packaged in a bottle having a cap that can only be removed by applying downward pressure while twisting the cap. However, this type of child resistance has certain disadvantages. For example, if a child does manage to open the bottle, immediate access is provided to the entire contents of the bottle. Further, if an adult user fails to place the cap in the properly secured position, there is no secondary mechanism for preventing access by a child.
Exemplary containers that provide a locking mechanism for enhancing child-resistance of a container can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,863,175 to Gelardi; 6,913,149 to Gelardi et al.; 6,976,576 to Intini; and 7,216,776 to Gelardi, and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2009/0223989 to Gelardi and 2009/0266837 to Gelardi et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
There remains a need in the art for a container for storing and dispensing a product capable of combining various advantageous features, such as child resistance and convenient size.